S5: The Variable

Since Miles had his back story episode, Faraday was jealous so he got one too!  Haha!  But seriously, this episode shows us that those who once lived on the island will do anything to protect it.  Some go as far as sending their only son to the island knowing that they will be the one to shoot them someday.  Because of the flow of time, you can't prevent it.  It's inevitable.  Faraday is right thought -- whatever happened, happened.

Unfortunately, or inevitably, he gets this idea in his head that the people are the variables and that they can somehow change the past.  His idea is to use the hydrogen bomb to destroy the energy at the Swan station.  This will not only erase the Losties coming to the island and their plane will land safely at LAX that it should have, but that will mean that if they land, Faraday's team will never have to go to the island and Charlotte will never have to die.  He's blind to the fact that the variables, the people, really don't have free will.  It appears that they do, but they don't.   Something is going to happen, whether it be hydrogen bomb related or not, something has to happen to create the future that we know in 2007 and the past can not be changed no matter how hard they try.  Even if they try to escape their fate and maybe Jack decides to kill himself, his death will probably motivate someone us to take up the cause and future will still happen.  Somehow.

As for 1977, Eloise does her job and makes sure people end up where they are supposed to be.  Because of her pushing and pushing and pushing, Daniel will do anything to win her approval and so he goes to the island and the rest is history.  It's sad to see him go, but it made sense for the story and it had to happen.  His ideas will be carried and his wishes be taken care of regardless because they were meant to be.

I really enjoyed this episode the first time I saw it.  Again, as I've said before, there are certain episodes that aren't as great the second time, and while I did enjoy it a second time, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time.  The end was so surprising the first time that it would be hard pressed to forget that Eloise killed her own son, but of course, didn't realize it was her son until after the fact.  But knowing that fact, she still pushed him to go to the island.  Pretty heavy stuff.